BFF

You’re in every one of my favourite childhood memories
I can see your face clearly, right there, next to mine
Come to think of it, you were also there during my no-so-favourite times
Like the time when my mum shouted at us for taking all my clothes to school and giving them away
Or your sixth birthday when you had that party and we locked ourselves in your bedroom and refused to play with the other kids
Wow, we really were brats sometimes
Do you remember when you told your parents you were coming to my house
And I told my parents I was going to yours
And we both went to Ayo’s house because her parents would let us go to parties and stay out as late as we wanted?
And somehow, despite our meticulous planning, we got caught and your dad came to pick us up
I swear he thought it was my fault and I couldn’t look him in the face for months after.

I told you absolutely everything of any importance that happened to me
When my parents fought, when I fought with them
I wasn’t scared to tell you I was going out with Ali even though I knew you didn’t like him.
And you didn’t even gloat, not even for one moment when he dumped me for the most popular girl in school
I never ever resented the fact that all the boys liked you, and all the girls wanted to be friends with you
And you were so proud of me for always coming first in class despite never really trying
There was that brief phase in our second year of secondary school when we both made other friends and spent less and less time together
But that all ended when I told you that Iko and I were going out. You’d always said we were meant to be together
Just like that, we were once more a part of each other’s lives and it’s stayed the same since

I moved to England and you moved to the States and yet we wrote each other at least once a week
Do you remember when we started keeping diaries and we’d exchange them every few months so that we knew every detail of each other’s lives?
And later when I caught up to your computer literacy skills, we emailed all the time Nothing was too mundane to share with the other
Different lives, new friends, profound experiences, an ocean between us and still we remained so close
Even though we never got to share a lot of firsts together, you heard all of mine as soon as they happened.

I couldn’t be happier for myself than I am for you when something good happens to you
The words ‘I told you so’ have never ever left your mouth even though you have had plenty of opportunity to say them
I’ve prayed that you would have things that even I didn’t have. I wanted them for you more than I did for me
You’ve supported me through every decision I’ve ever made. Your one question always was ‘is this what you really want?’ Once I uttered the magic word, ‘yes’ then you were as loyal to my dreams as you were to yours.
I’ve cried every time you’ve cried
You celebrate everything that is good about me, and are always there to remind me when I’m in danger of forgetting

We’re still an ocean apart but you’ll always be my best friend
And I know I’m yours
I’ve recently found the love of my life, and you’ve got yours, as well as three little ones
But I maintain that you’re my soul mate
How lucky I am to have found you so young and to have shared so much with you